Fair Lawn Schools Plan For Fall Reopening: Superintendent

FAIR LAWN, NJ — New Jersey schools knew classes would resume in some fashion in September 2020. How that would look was up for debate.

On June 26, Gov. Phil Murphy finally offered guidance for state school districts, which included mandatory masks and social distancing.

Fair Lawn's Superintendent of Schools Nicholas Norcia said in a letter that, although Murphy offered guidelines, there was a level of flexibility afforded to individual school districts.

"While the state has provided districts with a baseline of standards, they have also given districts the flexibility to implement a strategy that works best for each school district," he wrote.

Fair Lawn has been anticipating this announcement, so the district has already assembled a reopening committee, along with a variety of subcommittees. These committees will address scheduling, cleaning, social distancing, PPE and technology, according to Norcia.

The groups have been meeting weekly, and those meetings and planning efforts will continue over the summer, he said.

Eventually, the district will create a Reopen Plans page on district and school websites, where parents, students and staff can find protocols for the 2020-2021 school year.

"We will be guided by data from local and state health departments and as such, our plan will be flexible," wrote Norcia.

The plan for the fall reopening will be released in early August, he said.

Below are some main rules and guidelines for students and staff in the classroom:

• Face coverings are required for teachers, staff and visitors.
• Students are strongly encouraged to wear masks, but they must wear them if they can't maintain 6 feet of distance.
• Face coverings should not be worn if they present a risk to a person's health.
• Disinfecting and hand-washing procedures must be established for buildings and buses.
• Students should be placed 6 feet apart. Barriers should be installed and desks should face in one direction if distance rules can't be followed.
• When weather allows, windows should be opened to allow for greater air circulation and if air conditioning isn't available.
• Use of shared objects, such as pencils, crayons and paper, should be limited.
• Reading circles will be prohibited.
• School districts should protect staff and students who are at higher risk for severe illness, such as providing options for telework and virtual learning.

The state also issued guidance for buses, what to do if students or staff show symptoms and more.

Read more: Gov. Murphy Issues NJ School Reopening Rules Amid Coronavirus